Box



BOX

H. D. TICHENOR Filed Oct. 22, 1942 ec. l2, i944.

Patented Dec. 12, 1944 BOX Harold Dencil Tlchenor, Terre Haute, Ind., assignor to The Wabash Fibre Box Company, Terre Haute, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application October 22, 1942, Serial No. 462,890

4 Claims.

It is the object of my invention to produce a box or case which can be simply and economically manufactured from corrugated paper` or like material, which can be stored and shipped in knocked-down condition, which can be easily erected, and which when erected will be strong enough and rigid enough to provide protection for its contents. A further object of my invention. is to provide for such a box or case a hinged cover which can readily be attached in the course l0 of erection.

In carrying. out my invention, I form the box from a blank having a central portion divided into four wall-panels by"suitable score lines, such panels forming the walls of the box when the/ ends of the central portion of the blank are secured together. At the lower edges of two opposite side walls I provide triangular flaps which, when folded into the plane of the lowerl end of the box, substantially close such lower end leavhas at its upper end a Iiap foldable inwardly of the box and engageable with the in-folded p0rtions at the flaps at the bottom thereof in order to hold such latter aps in place. The cover for the box is formed from a blank having an oppropriately shaped central portion provided along its edges with flaps which are foldable to dene side walls adapted to overlie the side walls of the box. One of the side walls of the cover is provided with extending tongues over which the flaps at the upper edges of two opposite side walls of the box are folded to hold the cover in place.

'I'he accompanying drawing illustrates my invention: Fig. 1 is a view of the blank from which the case proper is formed; Fig. 2 illustrates the cover-forming blank; Fig. 3 is an isometric view1 45 of the completed -box with the cover in place; Fig. 4 is an isometric view of the completed box with the cover open and parts of the box broken away; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the box-body; and Fig. 6

is a fragmental isometric view in section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The blank illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises an elongated rectangular body portion divided by transverse score lines I0 into wall panels I I. Each of such wall panels is provided at its upper edge These 25 with a flap I2 separated from the associated panel by a score line I3. Alternate ones of the panels II, designated in the drawing as IIb and IId, are provided at their lower edges with triangular tongues I4 separated from the associatedpanels by score lines I5. Each of the other two panels. II a and IIc, is provided with a flap I6, such flap being separated from the associated panel by a score line I1 and divided into two triangular halves I8 and I9 by a diagonal score line 20.

The two tongues Mb and Hd are so shaped that when the box is erected they may be folded into the plane of the lower end thereof to close such lower end except for a narrow diagonally extending slot 2| (see Fig. 6). Each of the flaps I5 is so shaped that it may be inserted through the slot 2| and folded about its score line 2l! around one of the tongues I4. The tongues Il with the aps I6 folded respectively around them constitute a triple-thickness bottom of relatively high strength.

The cover of the box is conveniently made from a blank such as that illustrated in Fig. 2. The

` blank there shown has a central body portion 25 provided at two opposite edges with flaps 26 adapted to vform side walls and at its remaining two edges respectively with a flap 2l adapted to form a front wall and a'ap 28 adapted to form a rear wall. The flaps 26, 2l, and 28 are separated from the central body portion 25 of the blank by score lines 29. The two flaps 26 desirably have a width doublethat of the flap 21 so that each may be folded longitudinally about a central score line 30 to form a side wall of double thickness. At its ends, the flap 21 is provided with tongues 3I separated from the remainder of the flap by score lines 32, while the flap 28 is provided with similar tonguesA 33 defined by score lines 3l.

`In order to facilitate handling. of the box. two opposite wall-panels, shown as IIb and IId, are provided in their upper portions with U-shaped cuts 'each'of which, together with a score line joiningthe ends of the cut, defines a tongue 35.

Prior to erection of the box, the ends of the central portion of the box-blank-i. e., the free edges of the panels IIa and IId--are joined toy Y gether as by the application of a strip of gummed tape 31. In erecting the box, the blank with its ends secured together is opened so that adjacent panels I I will -be perpendicular to each other, and the two tongues YI4 are folded into co-planar re.- lationship in the open lower end of the box. The two outer portionsl I9 of the flaps I6 are next inserted through the slot 2| between the two tongues I4 and are then folded about the respective score lines 20 into engagement with the inner faces of the tongues, as will be clear from Fig. 6. 'Ihe two flaps I2a and I2c on the front and back walls of the box may then be folded inwardly to lie against the inner faces of such front and rear walls. Before the remaining flaps I2b and I2d are folded inwardly, the tongues 35 are pushed inwardly of the box and folded upwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 4. If desired,

in order .to provide a better distribution of anyl lifting effort applied to the box at the upper edges of the holes left by inward and upward folding of the tongues 35, I may place above each tongue a flat strip 38 of wood or similar material which will extend along the upper edge of the associated side wall.

Before completing erection of the box beyond the extent just indicated, the cover is erected from the blank shown in Fig. 2. In erecting the cover, the flap 21 is folded into perpendicular relationship with the central portion of the blank, and the tongues 3| at the ends of such flap are next folded inwardly about the score lines- 32 to bring the tongues into alignment with the score line 29 defining the inner edges of the respective side-wall flaps 26. The side-wall naps are then folded about the score lines 29 and 30 to embrace the infolded tongues 3|. To hold the cover erected, the two thicknesses of each nap 26 -may be stitched together as indicated at 39.

The tongues 33 are then folded about the score lines 34 to lie perpendicular to the ap 28; and the cover is brought into association with the box in such a manner that the flap 28 will extend along the upper edge of the infolded flap I2c with the tongues 33 extending along the inner surface of the side walls IIb and IId at the upper edge thereof. When the naps I2b and I 2d are then folded inwardly of the box, they will embrace the tongues 33 to hold the cover in place, and will also overlie the tongues 35 and reinforcing strips 38 t0 retain them in proper position. The flaps I2 have a length such that when folded inwardly of the box their edges will engage the infolded portions I9 of the flap I6 to hold such parts I9 in place.

The material used in forming the blanks for the box and cover is desirably the so called single wall box board, comprising a sheet of corrugated paperA to opposite sides of which 4plane sheets are glued. When made of such material, the resulting box is exceptionally strong and rigid and well adapted to protect its contents. y

Each of the strips 38 should have a width such that with the strip supported on the in-folded tongue 35, the upper edge of the strip will be 'substantially coincident with the score line I3 between the associated side wall II and flap I2. With strips 38 of such width, liftingeffort applied to the box at the upper edges of the holes left by 'the in-folded tongues 35 is transmitted through the strips 38 and distributed evenly over the entire width of the side walls.

The particular cover and cover-securing means illustrated and described above form the subject matter of my co-pending patent application Serial No. 535,153, filed May 11, 1944. 'Ihe nger opening and its associated reinforcing strip 33 form the subject matter of my co-pending patent application Serial No. 535,154, filed May 11, 1944.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a box, four side walls of foldable sheet material, two opposite ones of said walls being provided respectively at their lower edges with triangular tongues folded into the co-planar relationship and shaped so as substantially to close the lower end of said box except for a narrow slot formed by spaced diagonal edges of said tongues, each of the other two side walls being provided at its lower edge with a flap substantially coextensive in area with the box bottom, each of said flaps being inserted through such slot and 'folded through 180 along a fold line coinciding with the diagonal edge of one of the tongues to embrace said tongue.

2. In a box, four side walls of foldable sheet material, two of said walls being provided respectively at their lower edges with vtriangular tongues folded into the co-planar relationship and shaped so as substantially to close the lower end of said box exceptfcr a narrow slot formed by spaced diagonal edges of said tongues, each of the other two side Walls being provided at its lower edge with a flap substantially coextensive in area with the box bottom, each of said flaps being inserted through such slot and folded through along a fold line coinciding with the diagonal edge of one of the tongues to embrace said tongue.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition that each of said side walls is provided at its upper edge with a flap folded inwardly of the box into juxtaposition with the associated side wall and engaging one of said rst named flaps to hold it in place.

4; The invention set forth in claim 2 with the addition that each of said side walls is provided at its upper edge with a flap folded inward1y of the box into juxtaposition with the associated side wall and engaging one of said rst named flaps to hold it in place.

HAROLD DENCIL TICHENOR. 

